Means for feeding fibers to a pile fabric knitting machine



June 15, 1965 o. T. RADTKE 3,183,834

MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A FILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. OTTO 7.' PADTKE ATTORN EY5 o. T. RADTKE 3,188,834

MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A FILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE June 15, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1962 o\/ n lllll I I] |ll .l| m u Q0 w NA. Z m m -Qw m rmfi mm 9 N2 m0- N0 L. MW g l o m mv Al 00\ 8 0 I: we I PM v W? NNT ATTORNEYS June 15, 1965 o. T. RADTKE 3,188,834

MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A PILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 munmm lllllllllllllllllln INVENTOR. OTTO 7. RADTKE M WIQLM M ATTORNEYS June 15, 1965 o. T. RADTKE [3,188,834

MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A FILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. I2

NVENTOR. Orro 7i AD'TKE ATTORNEYS June 15, 1965 o. T. RADTKE 3,188,834

MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A FILE FABRIC KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Orv-o 71 RADTKE ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 31,188,834 Patented June 15, 1965 3,188,834 MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO A FILE FAIBRHI KNITTING MA IIHHNE Otto T. Radtke, Tarboro, N.C., assignor to Glenoit Mills, Inc., Tar boro, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 247,430 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-9) This application is a continuationdn-part of my prior copending application Serial No. 846,506, filed October 14, 1959 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a pile fabric knitting machine and more particularly to a method and means for feeding fibers from roving or sliver to the needles of a pile fabric knitting machine.

Pile fabric knitting machines of the type comprising a circular knitting machine for knitting the back or base fabric and a carding head for carding and feeding the pile forming fibrous material to the needles of the machine are well known. See, for example, Brandt 2,710,525 and Moore 1,848,370. The present invention comprises a fiber feeding apparatus for pile fabric knitting machines designed to produce both a carding action and a drafting action on the fibers being fed and is designated herein broadly as a carding unit.

It is an object of this invention to produce a new. and improved apparatus for feeding pile forming fibrous material to the needles of a pile fabric knitting machine which is more etficient, economical and practical than carding heads known heretofore.

This invention contempaltes a carding unit which will feed, parallelize and impart a uniform distribution to smaller denier fibers than known carding heads and which will handle coarse and fine denier blends of fibers without separation of the coarse and fine fibers.

It is also an object of this invention to produce a carding unit which will produce more uniform distribution f fibers on the needles of the knitting machine and in the pile fabric produced thereby.

This invention also contemplates a carding unit which is simpler and which requires less service than carding heads heretofore known.

This invention also contemplates a carding unit capable of handling heavier roving or sliver .and longer fiber than is practicable with carding heads known heretofore.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the carding unit of this invention and the knitting machine showing portions of the needle cylinder, needles, and the frame of the knitting machine.

FIG. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the carding unit showing in particular the driving gearing. This view is taken from the left hand side of the unit.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the unit taken on the right hand side and showing the support for part of the driving gearing which is located on the right hand side of the unit.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the carding unit taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a detail section of one of the spring mechanisms for adjusting the pressure of the upper corrugated roller against the lower corrugated roller.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the carding .unit showing the three pairs of corrugating rollers, the wire brush roller and the transfer roll.

FIG. 8 illustrates the roving or sliver before it is carded by the unit of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevation of the roving after it has passed through the carding unit of this invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the gear box with the cover removed.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are front and side views respectively of the reduction gear drive unit for the corrugating rollers.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the carding unit.

Referring to FIG. 1, the socalled head ring, which is an annular ring forming part of the frame of the circular knitting machine, is designated 10. This ring is supported above the floor by other parts of the frame (not shown) and in turn supports the gear ring 11 which is rotatable in a manner well known in the art. The teeth of the gear ring are designated 12. The needle cylinder is designated 13 and is supported on the gear ring 11 to which it is secured by screws (not shown). The cylinder carries a circular row of latch needles 14, only a few of which are shown. Since circular knitting machines for knitting pile fabric are well known, it is believed that no further description or showing of the knitting machine is necessary.

The carding unit of this invention consists of a frame generally designated 15 which comprises a base 16, an upstanding left side 17 and an upstanding right side 18. The base 16 is bolted or otherwise secured to the frame of the knitting machine. The main cylinder or transfer roll 19 of the carding unit is fixed upon shaft 20 which is journalled in the side walls 17 and 18 of frame 15.

Cylinder 19 is covered with a conventional card clothing generally designated 21 which comprises the usual cotton backing and felt body 22 and wire teeth 23. A conventional doifer roll 24 is fixed upon shaft 25 which is also journalled at each end in the side walls of frame 15. The doifer roll also is covered with a conventional card clothing generally designated 26 and comprising the usual cotton backing and felt body 27 and wire teeth 28. The teeth 23 of the transfer roll 19 intermesh with teeth 28 of the doifer roll 24.

The drawing or drafting section of the carding unit comprises three pairs or sets of corrugated or fluted rollers 40, 4'1 and 42. The corrugated roller portion of the unit is supported upon a a bracket 29 which is bolted to base 16. Rollers 42 are mounted in a U-frame 30. Rollers 41 are mounted in a U frame 31. Rollers 40 are mounted in a U-frame 32. Frames 31 and 32 each comprise a base 33 and right and left hand side Walls 34 and 35. Frames 31, 3 2 are adjustably mounted upon plate 36. Frame 30 is preferably fixed on plate 36. Frames 31 and 32 are secured in position by bolts 38 which project through slots 37 in plate 36 and screw into bases 33. When bolts 38 are turned up against plate 36, frames 31, 32 are locked in position on plate 36. The frames 30, 3:1 and 32 each support a pair of corrugating rollers. Plate 36 is adjustable upon bracket 29 toward and away from the cylinder 19 and is locked in position by bolts 39 which project through parallel slots in bracket 29. Bolts 39 screw into plate 36 and when turned tightly up against bracket 29, lock plate 36 in adjusted position upon bracket 29.

Since each pair of corrugated rollers 40, 41 and 42 is rotatably supported in its respective support in the same manner, the description of the mounting of one pair will apply equally well to the rotatable supporting of the other pairs. Referring to FIG. 7, the first pair of corrugated rollers is designated 40, the second pair 41 and the third pair 42. Each pair comprises a lower roller and an upper roller. The lower and upper rollers of pair 40 are designated 43 and 44, respectively. The lower and upper rollers of pair 41 are designated 45 and 46, respectively, and the lower and upper rollers of pair 42 are designated 47 and 48, respectively. Rollers 43, 44, 45 and 46 are substantially identical and can be used interchangeably. Rollers 47 and 48 are substantial copies of rollers 43 to 46 except that they have a somewhat smaller outside diameter, for exampie, rollers 43 to146 may each havean outside diameter of one and a quarter inches whereas rollers 47 and 48 i may each have an outside diameter of one inch.

Corrugated rollers 43 and 44 are fixed upo n shafts 49 and t}, rollers 45 and 46 are fixed upon shafts 511 and 52, and rollers 47 and 48 are fixed upon shafts53 and 54, respectively. Shafts 49 and 50 are journalled at each end in the side walls 34, 35' of their support frame 32.. Shafts 51 and52 are journalledat each end in the sidewalls 34, 35 of support frame 31." Shafts 53 and 54 are journalled at each end in the sidewalls of their support frame '30.

Each of the rollers 43 to 48, with longitudinal corrugations extending parallel to its axis of rotation. These corrugations are designated'SS. The corrugations or longitudinal teeth 55 of the upper and lower rollers of each pair of rollers are in mesh;

The side. faces-of the corrugations are designated-.56; The angle 57 included between the side faces 56 of each two successive roller teethf55preferably should: range between 60 to 90; To state it another'way, the sides 56 of each groove made by each two succeeding teeth should have an included angle falling within a'range of from 60 to 90. The preferred included angle of the side facesof each groove is about 60.

inclusive, is provided will be less than that applied by the corresponding springs on roller '48. j I

A rotary brush 66 having pig bristles or synthetic bristles 67 is fixed on shaft 68 which is journalled at each. end in caps 59. Rotary brush 66 is positioned so that the brist1es67 have a zero clearance or just touch not only the wires 23 of transfer roll 19 but also the apices of the teeth of the upper roller, 48. By this arcontiguous at all times to the upperfeed roll 48 and to the wire teeth 23 of transfer roll 19. For example, caps 59 may be provided with slots and adjusting screws (see FIG. '13) whereby the caps, and hence rotary brush 66, may be adjusted relative to U-franre EAL-whereby the contiguousrelation aforesaid-may vbe maintained.

The upper corrugated rollers 44, 46 and'48 areeach mounted in intermeshing relation with their respective The carding unit is driven from the ring gear 11.

The drive for ring gear 11 is not. shown but is conventional and usually consists of an electric motor which bottom corrugated roller 43, 45 and 47 with a pressure j that can be varied. Bottom rollers 43, 45 and 475drive upper rollers 44, 46 and 48, respectively.

Preferably, the intermeshing pressure of each painof rollers is controlled by a pairof springs, one .ateach end of the shaft which supports each of the upper corrugated rollers. The mounting of eachend of the, shaft of each of the upper rollers is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6. As shown, each of theside walls of frames. 31, 32 and 39 are provided with vertical slots 60. The bottomof each slot 60 is located a short distance on.the order of one-quarter .of an inch above the top of the bearings which support the shafts 49,. 51 and 53 for, the lowercorrugated rollers. .The ends of shafts 59, 52

and 54 are supported in bushings 61 which fit snugly in slots 60. The upper end of each slot 60 in frames 31 and 32 is closed by a cap 62. m The upper end of slot 60 in frame 30 is closed by a cap 59. 'Each cap 62 is provided with a'threaded bore ,63 which receives an adjusting screw 64, the lower end of which bears upon a coil spring 65 located in slot 60'betWeen bushing 61 and the lower end of adjusting screw 64. Each bushing 61 is positioned above or'has a clearance of the order of one-eightht fla) of an inch or more witl1- the bottom of slot 60 when the upper corrugated rollers are resting upon, and in mesh with, the lowermostrollers.

is geared .to the ring gear 11. The power for driving the carding unit is taken'from driving ring'gear 11 by means of a pinion or gearv 69 which meshes with teeth 12 of ring'gear 11. Gear 69 is fixed at the lower end of a shaft 70 which is journalled in the base 16 of frame '15.. Bevel gear 71 is fixed tothe upper'end of shaft 70 and meshes with a bevel gear 72 fixed on horizontal drive shaft 73 journalled in frame 15.

Gear 74 and sprocket .75 are fixed on the end of shaft 120 which is journalled in frame 15. Doifer roll 24 is driven by, means of a sprocket 76 fixed on shaft .25 and connected by a driving chain 77 WlllTSpIOCkfit 75.. Small gear 74 is driven by a large gear 78 fixed on'the end of shaft 79 which is'also journalled in frame 15. Also fixed upon' shaft 79 is a sprocket 80.- Shaft 79 is driven from shaft'731by means .of bevel gear 110 fixed on the end of shaft 79 which meshes with bevel gear 111 fixed cylinder 19.

Shaft 85 is journalled in frame Gear 89 is fixed on one'end of shaft 85 and bevel gear 83 is fixed onthe other end of shaft 85 and meshes with bevel gear 84 fixed on driving shaft 73. Thus, shaft 73 acts through Springs 65, the tension of which can be adjusted by screws 64, to determine the intermeshing of clamping pressure of the upper and lower rollers so. that when the roving is fed through these corrugated rollers the upper roller can move upwardly with respect to the, lower roller to I intermeshed gear-s83 and 84 to drive shaft 851'and gear 89. A link 87 is supported. at one end upon shaft 53. Thelower' end of this link is connected to bracket 88 which is bolted to'base 16of frame 15, FIGS. 3 and 5. Intermeshed gears 90 and 91 are mounted upon stub shafts 86' and 92, respectively, which are supported '1 upon link 87. Gear 93 is fixed on the lefthand end er, roller '47 by two J-clamps 58. Clamps 58 engage the ends of shaft 54 and extend downwardly through over the end of'each J-clamp58 and a nut 8 threaded on the end of each clamp 58 is turned upwardly so as to .the base of. frame 30. A compression spring 9 is passed 1' 1 compress the spring against the bottom of frame 30 and thereby cause clamps 58 to draw the upper roller 48 of springs'65 for one upper roller 44 preferably will be adjusted to a different degree than the compression springs and the pressure applied by springs 65 upon roller 46 downwardly against lowerroller 47. The compression of shaft 53. Shaft 53 supportslower corrugated roller .47. Gear 93 meshes with gear '94 which isfixed on .shaft 68. Shaft 68 supports'roller brush 66.

Gears 90 andf91 are mounted on link 87 "which is pivotally supported on shaft53.': Thus, the corrugated rollerassembly' as a whole may be adjustedtoward and .away from transfer roller 19 by adjusting plate36 relar tive to bracket 29 as a-bovedescribed, and the mounting ofgears 90 and 9l on pivoted link 87'will permit this ad ustment and yet retain gear 91 always in mesh with 'gear 93 'and gear 96f'always .in mesh with gear 89.

Whenever the feed roll assembly as a whole is adjusted toward or away from transfer cylinder 19; rotarybrush 66 isadjusted, by means of the slots and adjusting screws "-in'caps 59 aforesaid,- to maintain the bristles 67 of the brush contiguous with both the feed roll 48 and the wire teeth of the transfer roll 19. The lower end of link 87 is connected to bracket 88 by bolt 121 which passes through an elongated slot 122 in bracket 88 so that the bolt 121 can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly in slot 122 as the roller assembly is adjusted toward or away from the transfer roll 19. Bracket 88 is secured to the base 16 by a bolt 123 which also passes through an elongated slot in bracket 88 to permit adjustment of bracket 88 along base 16.

In FIG. 3, the left hand end of shaft 53 is shown. Now, referring to FIG. 4, the right hand end of shaft 53 is shown. A gear 95 is fixed on the right hand end of shaft 53. This gear 95 meshes with gear 96 fixed on stub shaft 97 which is journalled in bracket 125 which is bolted to frame 31. Stub shaft 97 also has gear 98 fixed thereon which meshes with gear 99 which is fixed on the right hand end of shaft 51 which carries the intermediate lower roller 45. Now, referring to FIG. 3, gear 100 is fixed on the left hand end of shaft 51. (Referring to FIG. 3, gear 100 is offset from gear 93 and gears 100 and 93 therefore do not mesh but clear each other.) Gear 100 meshes with gear 101 rotatably mounted on stub shaft 102. Gear 103 fixed to gear 101 meshes with gear 104 which is fixed on the left hand end of shaft 40 upon which corrugated roller 43 is supported.

The gears in the gear train which drive shaft 53 and roller 47 are as follows: 69, 71, i2, 84, 83, 89, 90, 91, 93.

Gear 94, which rotates brush 66, meshes with gear 93.

The gear train which drives lower corrugated roller 45 includes all of the gears mentioned above for driving shaft 53 and roller 47 and, in addition, includes gears 95, 96, 98 and 99.

The gears of the gear train which drive corrugated roller 43 include all of the gears mentioned above in the driving gear train for corrugated roller 45 and, in

addition, include gears 100, 101, 103, and 104 which is fixed on shaft 49.

By referring to the reduction gear trains which drive the three pairs of corrugated rollers, it should be noted that rollers 47 and 48 rotate at a faster speed than rollers 45 and 46 and that rollers 45 and 46 rotate at a faster speed than rollers 43 and 44. By way of example, gears 47 and 48 make two and one-half revolutions to each revolution of gears 45 and 46 and gears 45 and 46 make three revolutions to each revolution of gears 43 and 44. The r.p.m. ratio of rollers 42 to rollers 41 is two and one-half to one and the r.p.m. ratio of rollers 41 to rollers 40 isthree to one. The purpose of these differences in r.p.m. of the three pairs of rollers is explained below.

A feed trough or channel 105 for the roving or sliver is secured by screws to frame 32. There is provided adjacent the outlet end of trough 105 a cross rod 106 upon which are adjustably mounted two posts 107. The posts 107 are adjusted lengthwise of rod 106 and held in position by set screws. The posts 107 in conjunction with'rod 106 and the base of trough 105 form an outlet 108 through which the roving is fed into the first set of corrugated rollers 43 and 44. The width of the outlet 108 will depend upon the distance between posts 107 and will vary with the size of the roving being fed into the carding head.

The roving or sliver is designated 109 (FIG. 7) and may consist of any fibers or mixture of fibers, either natural or synthetic, coarse or fine or mixtures thereof, which are suitable for forming the pile of a knit pile fabric. By Way of example, it is common practice to form the pile in knit pile fabrics of such well known fibers as wool, dynel, Orlon, Acrylan, nylon, Verel, and mixtures thereof, said pile fibers having known deniers. It is common'practice in pile fabric to make the pile of fibers having deniers ranging from two to fifty, but reference is made to the denier of the pile fibers only by way of example because my carding head will operate efficiently regardless of the denier of the pile fiber.

The operation of the carding unit is as follows: The driving ring gear 11 drives the doffer roll 24, main transfer cylinder 19, brush 66 and corrugated rollers in the manner outlined above. The leading end of the roving or sliver 109 which is guided in trough 105, is passed through the outlet 108 and fed into the first set of rolls 43 and 44 which rotate in the direction of the arrows. As the roving passes or is drawn between the intermeshed teeth or corrugations 55 of the first pair of rollers, it is compressed and flattened out. The roving travels or is drawn from left to right, FIG. 7. The flattened end of the roving then passes into the second set of rollers 45 and 46 where the intermeshed corrugations apply pressure upon the roving. Since the second pair of rollers 45, 46 are rotating at a higher r.p.m. than the first set of rollers, the roving is attenuated, thinned or drawn out. The roving passes from the second set of rollers to the third set of rollers 47 and 48 which also hold or grip the roving in compression and the roving is further attenuated because rollers 47 and 48 are traveling at a higher r.p.m. than the second set of rollers 45, 46. The roving which has now been further attenuated and the fibers spread out into a flat sheet or layer of uniform thickness, is directed toward and substantially uniformly deposited across the wires of main cylinder 19 which'carries the fibers clockwise, FIG. 1, to the doifer roll 24. Cylinder 19 actually serves principally as a transfer roll for the fibers. The doffer roll 24 picks the fibers from the wires of the transfer cylinder 19 and carries them around to the needles 14 in the rotating needle cylinder 13 and the needles pick the fibers from the doffer roll in the well known manner. Since brush 66 has a zero clearance both with roll 48 and with the circumference or tips of the wires 23 of the transfer roll 19, the brush picks off any stray fibers from roller 48 and alsoaids in uniformly distributing the fibers over the transfer roll 19. With the aid of brush 67, the drafting action of the three sets of rollers 40, 41 and 42 delivers a continuous, uniform layer of fibers on transfer roll 19. Rolls 19 and 24 serve primarily to transfer the attenuated and parallelized fibers from rolls 47, 48 to the needles 14.

The clearance between roller 48 and the transfer roller 19 varies with the fiber length. This clearance can range from one-quarter of an inch to one-two hundredth of an inch.

Shaft 50 is vertically aligned with shaft 49 and similarly shafts 52 and 54 are vertically aligned with shafts 51 and 53. The distance between the centers of shafts 49 and 51 and shafts 51 and 53 is always greater than the length of the fibers which make up the roving 109 which is being drafted, carded and fed in my carding unit. Hence, the desirability for having the pairs of corrugated rollers 40, 41 and 42 adjustably mounted upon plate 36. Unless the distance between the centers of roller shafts 49 and 51 and between shafts 51 and 53 is greater than the length of the fibers, then the fibers will be stretched because rollers 45 and 46 rotate at a greater speed than rollers 43 and 44 and rollers 47 and 48 rotate at a greater speed than rollers 45 and 46. Stretching of the fibers is undesirable because it causes them to lose life. Thus, in the roller assembly, the distance between the line along which one set of corrugated rollers clamps or compresses the roving to the point or line where the next set of rollers press or clamp the roving is always greater than the length of the fibers which constitute the roving. Hence, in passing through the roller assembly, the individual fibers are never stretched but the roving is attenuated or lengthened so that the fibers move relative to each other lengthwise of the roving and line up parallel to the length of the roving and to become uniformly distributed across the width of the roving, see FIG. 9 which illustrates the attenuated roving as it passes out of corrugated rollers 42 preparatory to being taken up by the transfer roll 19. Rollers 40, 41, 42 crimp the fibers. This crimp is temporary and can be efliciently fed on a conventional card head.

Thecorrugations or flutes can be rounded off so as not to crimp in those instances where the, roving constitutes pre-crirnped fibers. My carding unit Will handle smaller denier fibers than conventional cardingheads. tional carding heads use wire' carding cloth. This carding cloth wears out rapidly inthe use of a carding head.

Since my carding unit uses corrugated rollers instead of wire carding cloth, the expense incident to the wearing out of carding cloth 'in the conventional carding head is Further, my.

avoided inthe use of my carding unit.

The crimp helps the main transfer" Conven carding unit will handle a roving made of a mixture or blend of coarse and fine denier fibers without separating the coarse-and fine denier fibers. A conventional carding head will separate the coarsefrom the fine denier fibersto a substantial extent and therefore will fail to maintain the coarse and fine denier blend desired; 1

' My carding unit will handle heavier roving or 'sliver than conventional cardingtheads because theroller as-':

sembly takes the roving or sliver and spreads it out into a wide uniform layer beforetit is picked up by the card cloth of the transfer roll 19. This is a highly important advantage, for in all prior carding heads for pile fabric knitting machines it is necessary to extensively pre-card the sliver into a relatively fine roving preparatory to knitting. With this invention, pre-carding of the sliver is sub stantially reduced, since the plural pairs of feed rolls per mit handling of substantially heavier sliver than heretofore was possible. r

.Likewise, since the fibers are-applied to-only two rolls having an outer surface of card clothQmy 'car'ding unit is admirably suited for handling much longer fibers than This carding unit is eflicient in operationtand accom-, plishes in a practicalmanner the uniform distribution] and feeding of the fibers on to transfer roll 19 and the doffer roll 24. Uniform feeding .of the fibers across the wire face of the doifer roll 24 is important so that each needle 7 14 will pick or rake from the doifer roll; a' uniform amountor bundle of fibers which become the pile of the knit pile fabric. vUnless the needles rake substantially uniform amounts or, bundles of fibers from the doflFer roll, the pile of the knit pile fabric 'willnot be uniform and smooth. Uniform distribution of the'pile throughout the fabric is important from the standpoint of the desired appearance of the pile'fabric. r

I claim:

1. A carding head for a knitting machine having a set i of needles, said carding head being operative to convert sliver in rope form and composed of discrete fibers into an attenuated, flattened and widened sheet suitable for reception by the needles to knit a pile fabric comprising,

in combination with atransfer roll and dofferz (a) a plurality of successive pairs of spaced feed rolls, 7

driven 'at progressively increasing rates of speed, for feeding sliver to the transfer roll, (b) a support for the feed rolls, including means "to adjust the feed rolls as a unit toward and away from first pair of feed rolls.

8 (d) a rotary brushmo'unted on the support and disposed in touching relationship to both the last successive pair of 'feedtrolls and the transfer roll and (e) adjustment means on the support to position the brush in touching relationship to the last successive 'pair'of feed rolls and the transfer roll regardless of the position of the support relative to'the transfer roll. 2. The carding head of claim '1 furtherincluding adjustable'guide means in advance of the feed'rolls through which the sliver passes from a source :of supply to the 3. A carding head for a knitting machine having a r set of needles-said carding head being operative to convert sliver in rope form and composed of discrete'fibers into tin-attenuated, flattened and widened sheet suitable for reception by the needles 'to knit a pile fabric cornprising, in combination with a transfer roll and dolfer:

(a) a plurality of successive pairsof peripherally fluted 'feed rolls driven at progressively increasing 7 rates of speed for feeding sliver to the transfer roll,

(b) each successive pair of rolls being spaced from the preceding pair of' rolls a distance greater than the length of the major portion of the fibers,

(c) -the fluted periphery of each roll being composed of generally V-shaped crests and valleys in alternation, i v

(d) the converging side faces of the generally V-shaped valleys forming'an angle in the range from to (e) resilient means yieldably urgingeach pair of rolls intoflute meshing engagement at selected pressures, I t

I (f) a rotary brush disposed in touching relationship to both the'last successive pair of feed rolls and to the transfer roll and (g) adjustment means operative to position the brush at'all'times in touching relationship to the last successive pair of feed rolls and the transfer roll.

References (Jitedhythe Eiraniiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/73 j Proctor 19-99 318,121 5/85 Klein 19105 534,418 2/95 Bates 19-160 632,947 9/99 Rand 19-282 X 731,409 6/03 Shackleton 57-36 864,51'5- 8/07 Collins 19- 1,702,641 2/29 Butler 19292X r 2,412,357 12/46 vRobinson 19-282 2,710,525 6/55 Brandt 669 2,728,111' 12/55 Werth et a1. 19260 2,738,555 3/56 Whitehurst 19--282 2,953,823 9/60 'Lynch' 19-157 3,010,297 11/61 Hill; 669 3,019,623 2/62 Howes 669 3,021,698 w 2/62 Hill 669 7 3,095,614 7/6 3 Moore 669 X FOREIGN PATENTS,

3,183 1882 Great Britain. 3,881 1883 Great Britain. 274,180 7 /27 Great Britain. 7

' OTHER REFERENCES Drawing Frames,. by Willis and Moore, The Textile Foundation, Washington,

DONALD w. BARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARDING HEAD FOR A KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A SET OF NEEDLES, SAID CARDING HEAD BEING OPERATIVE TO CONVERT SLIVER IN ROPE FORM AND COMPOSED OF DISCRETE FIBERS INTO AN ATTENUATED, FLATTENED AND WIDENED SHEET SUITABLE FOR RECEPTION BY THE NEEDLES TO KNIT A PILE FABRIC COMPRISING, IN COMBINTION WITH A TRANSFER ROLL AND DOFFER; (A) A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF SPACED FEED ROLLS, DRIVEN AT PREGRESSIVELY INCREASING RATES OF SPEED, FOR FEEDING SLIVER TO THE TRANSFER ROLL, (B) A SUPPORT FOR THE FEED ROLLS, INCLUDING MEANS TO ADJUST THE FEED ROLLS AS A UNIT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE TRANSFER ROLL, (C) ADJUSTING MEANS ON THE SUPPORT FOR SELECTIVELY ADJUSTING THE SPACED PAIRS OF FEED ROLLS RELATIVELY TOWARD OR AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, (D) A ROTARY BRUSH MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORT AND DISPOSED IN TOUCHING RELATIONSHIP TO BOTH THE LAST SUCCESSIVE PAIR OF FEED ROLLS AND THE TRANSFER ROLL AND (E) ADJUSTMENT MEANS ON THE SUPPORT TO POSITION THE BRUSH IN TOUCHING RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAST SUCCESSIVE PAIR OF FEED ROLLS AND THE TRANSFER ROLL REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION OF THE SUPPORT RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER ROLL. 